Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction ❯ Project Pinnacle ❯ I Am ( Chapter 3 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo and its characters are property of AIC and
Pioneer. The proceeding story, though based on pre-existing characters, is
the property of the author and may not be reprinted without permission.
All original characters found herein are also the property of the author and
may not be used without permission. (Did that sound official? I hope so.)

Note to Reader: I have omitted a few minor characters, because their
appearances would not have contributed further to content. This saga is
meant to be read after "The Masato Saga." If you haven't read it you
won't be totally lost, but it helps. Comments and suggestions are always
more than welcome, so if there's something you'd like to say, good or bad,
please e-mail me.

I Am

Chapter 1: The Discovery

As usual, Washu was busy in the lab. She had been periodically
working on recovering some of the data that had been deleted from
Arcese's database. Several hours previous, she had made a breakthrough
when she was able to determine the format of the files. After that, it was
fairly easy to repair the data and convert it to a readable format. At the
present moment, she had only managed to convert about twenty percent of
the immense amount of data that had been deleted. However, she was
curious to see what she had found. She paused from her conversions to
read over the results.
She scrolled through the text, and found a wealth of information.
Most of it was design specifications that she already knew or assumed to
be true. From the beginning, Washu was impressed with Arcese's design,
but seeing the programming written down, the files obviously created by
someone of immense intelligence, reinforced that feeling. File after file
she read, picking up bits and pieces of information that allowed her to
paint a clearer picture in her mind of what Arcese was. Or, at least, what
he was supposed to be. After hours of sifting through technical
specifications, she came to a file that was different from all the rest. It was
still fragmented, but its label was enough to arouse Washu's curiosity. It
was labeled: "Prime Directive."
"This is it," Washu said quietly to the empty room. She had come
across arguably the single most important piece of data contained within
their visitor. It was a question that had plagued herself, Arcese, and the
rest of the household ever since she had given Arcese the ability to think
for himself. At last, Arcese's original purpose was staring back at her on
the screen of her computer. She opened the file and began to read.
Upon browsing the data found therein, she was completely
shocked. Most of the information contained in the file did not pertain to
Arcese at all. Most of the information was about Ryoko. Washu
wondered why information about Ryoko would be programmed into
Arcese, and for what purpose. What would Arcese do with such data?
Nearly everything imaginable about Ryoko was contained within that file;
a history that tracked her movements since her initial creation, numerical
representations of her power levels, a definitive list of all attacks at her
disposal, and even an outline of her general personality. Washu imagined
that even more information about Ryoko was contained within the
fragments that had not yet been recovered. When she finally found out
what the intentions of the creator were, she gasped.
Washu didn't know what to think. Was Arcese even capable of
such an act? How should she even approach the situation? She didn't
want to go off half-cocked, but the information before her was of dire
significance. Was Washu's reprogramming sufficient to overwrite the task
that Arcese had been given from day one? She hoped so, but she wasn't
sure. The original prime directive was still contained within Arcese's
database. Granted, it was badly damaged, but on the computer screen
before her was proof that it could still be accessed. "This is not good,"
Washu said to herself. "I think I'd better tell Ryoko."
Washu poked her head from the lab and found Ryoko and Ayeka
together on the couch, eyes glued to the television. Even after all these
months, she still couldn't get used to the sight of them together on even a
remotely peaceful basis, let alone from friendship. "Ryoko, could you
come into my lab for a moment?" Washu asked.
"In a minute," Ryoko replied, not even turning her eyes from the
television. "This is the best part."
"It's important, Ryoko," Washu said in a commanding tone. "I
need to see you. Now."
Ryoko turned around, and saw the stern face that addressed her.
Not often did Washu look so deadly serious. "Okay," Ryoko conceded.
"Ayeka, tell me what happens." Ayeka only nodded vacantly, so
engrossed was she by the complicated web of plot twists that unfolded
before her in the latest installment of her favorite soap opera. Ryoko arose
and followed Washu into the lab.
"What's so important?" Ryoko asked almost indignantly.
Washu responded by turning her computer to face Ryoko, and
bringing up the file she had just read. "This file contains information on
what Arcese was originally programmed to do," Washu said. "Much of
what is contained here concerns you."
"Me?" Ryoko asked.
"Yes," Washu confirmed. "I don't know all the details yet, but
apparently Arcese was created with you in mind. Arcese was given
extensive knowledge of you, and was given abilities that counter your
own."
"Counter?" Ryoko asked, growing impatient with Washu's oblique
explanations. "What are you talking about?"
Washu looked Ryoko square in the eyes. "Ryoko," she said,
"Arcese was created to kill you."

Chapter 2: Run

Ryoko burst noisily from the lab, her eyes aflame with anger.
"That son of a bitch!" she yelled.
"Ryoko, you shouldn't go flying off the handle like this," said
Washu, who followed close behind. "Like I said, I don't know all the facts
yet. Arcese might not plan on fulfilling his original intent."
"Well, I'm certainly not going to give him the opportunity to kill
me, that's for sure," Ryoko countered hotly.
The shouting she heard behind her was enough to draw Ayeka's
attention away from the television. "What's going on?" she asked.
"Who's trying to kill you, Ryoko?"
"Arcese, that's who," she replied icily. "That innocence of his is
just an act. Dammit! How come I didn't see it sooner? It was no
coincidence at all that he crashed here."
"Ryoko, don't forget that I reprogrammed him," Washu reminded
her. "The new programming that I gave him should be enough to
overwrite any files that may have existed previously."
"But you said yourself that you don't know for sure," Ryoko said.
"I don't want to take that chance. I'm going to end this here and now."
"I don't think that's a good idea," Washu said. "I haven't seen
Arcese do anything remotely aggressive since he came here. There's no
reason to believe that he would want to hurt any of us."
"No reason?" Ryoko asked in a tone of outrage. "What do you call
that file that you just showed me?"
"That's just data," Washu said. "It doesn't reflect Arcese's
personality. I wish you would just give him the benefit of a doubt."
"The benefit of a doubt?" Ryoko asked. "Easy for you to say!
You're not the one he was programmed to kill!"
Ayeka was dumbstruck. "Arcese?" she asked aloud. "I can't
believe it. He seems so nice. He wouldn't hurt a fly. He couldn't
possibly kill someone. Could he?"
"Well, I'm not going to sit around to find out," Ryoko said. She
took to the air and phased through the door, in hot pursuit of her would-be
assassin. Washu only watched her go and shook her head. It was
absolutely impossible to deal with her when she was like this.
Ayeka was still shocked at Washu's revelation. She stared blankly
at the scientist and asked, "Is Arcese really going to try and kill Ryoko?"
Washu sighed heavily. "I never purged Arcese's database when I
reprogrammed him," she said. "Those files on Ryoko are still inside his
processor. I just hope that the emotions that I gave him cause him to make
the right choice."

"Okay, now it's my turn to hide," Sasami said. "Try and find me if
you can!"
"I'll give it my best shot," Arcese replied. "But maybe we ought to
make this the last round. It looks like it might start raining any minute." He
turned against a tree to shield his eyes.
"And no peeking!" Sasami said.
"I promise," Arcese assured her. As Sasami rushed to find a hiding
place, Arcese began to count. "One, two, three..."
Arcese loved playing hide-and-seek with Sasami. For that matter,
he enjoyed any time spent with her, no matter what the occasion. She had
an outlook on the world that Arcese found to be very refreshing. As well,
he could tell that, of all the people in the house, she was the most
comfortable around him. Over the past few weeks he had taken great
pains to establish a friendly relationship with everyone in the Masaki
household, and he was pleased that everyone, at the very least, accepted
him. However, from the very beginning, there was Sasami. She was the
first one who really allowed him to be the passive, friendly person that he
wanted to be, and he appreciated her all the more for it.
"...Forty eight, forty nine, fifty," Arcese finished. "Ready or not,
here I come!"
Arcese knew where Sasami was even before he opened his eyes.
She was one hundred and seventeen meters away at a position of thirty
eight degrees from magnetic north, crouching behind a shrub. He was able
to use his empathic abilities to get a fix on her position. Nevertheless, he
still let her win the majority of the time; nothing made him happier than
seeing a triumphant smile on her face. However, he felt this time that he
should find her fairly quickly; the dark clouds in the sky looked very
threatening.
Not long after he began to "seek," he felt someone approaching. It
was Ryoko, and she seemed angry. Arcese wondered if it was anything
that he might have inadvertently done that set her off. He saw her come
into view in the distance, a terrible scowl adorning her comely features. It
did not take empathic abilities to see that she was clearly fuming. "Ryoko,
what's the matter?" he called to her as she continued her approach. Ryoko
did not respond. She only began to fly faster and, upon reaching Arcese,
plowed her fist into his face.
The force of the impact sent Arcese flying back several meters. He
hit the ground and skidded to a halt against a tree. Physically unhurt by
the blow, he quickly hopped back up to his feet. "What was that for?" he
asked anxiously.
"Like you don't know!" Ryoko responded hotly. "Washu told me
everything. I know what you're planning."
"What are you talking about?" Arcese asked, truly confused.
"Don't play dumb with me, you stupid robot!" Ryoko shouted. "I
saw your files on me. If you want to kill me, then let's see what you've
got!"
Sasami, who had heard the commotion from her hiding place, leapt
up and rushed to the site of the disturbance. "Ryoko, what's going on?"
she asked.
"Get back to the house, Sasami," Ryoko instructed. "I have to take
care of this little problem."
"Kill you?" Arcese asked, shocked. "Where did you get an idea
like that? I would never even think about hurting any of you."
"Liar!" Ryoko accused. "No matter what you think Washu made
you, you were programmed to kill me. You've just been biding your time,
waiting for the right moment. You've been acting like a sweet person just
to get close, to give us all a false sense of security. Well, I won't let you
pull the wool over our eyes any more."
"What are you talking about, Ryoko?" Sasami asked. "Arcese
would never hurt anyone!"
"Sorry, Sasami," Ryoko said, "but Arcese isn't who we thought he
was. He was sent here to kill me; just ask Washu."
Arcese didn't know how to respond. Was it really Washu who
gave her this information? She had access to all of his files, so anything
regarding him that came from her was probably grounded in fact. But he
had no desire to hurt anyone. He had to find out for himself. He closed
his eyes and began to conduct a search of his database for any files that he
might have on Ryoko.
Sasami stood confused. Arcese looked like he had just fallen
asleep standing up. "What's he doing?" she asked.
"Get out of here, Sasami," Ryoko told her. "This could get ugly."
Arcese continued his search, praying to God that he would not find
the file he was looking for. He was worried, though; most of the files he
came across he did not recognize. These were the files that had been
deleted. By conducting a direct search he was able to access them. They
were fragmented and hard to read, but he was only looking for a few key
phrases, anyway. After several moments, he found the file that Ryoko
spoke of.
Arcese's eyes shot open. Sasami was aghast at the change that had
fallen over him. His eyes, which had previously mirrored her own, had
now turned an ash gray. Indeed, it seemed like his whole face had turned
gray and sallow. Expressions of surprise, fear, confusion, and anger all
erupted on his face at once. He stood gawking at Ryoko, the person he
was supposed to kill. He didn't want to kill her, by any means; it went
against everything that he had come to believe. Still, it was his undeniable
fate that he should be the one to destroy her. He was torn between his
desire to be peaceful, and his destiny to be violent. It appeared as though
he didn't have much choice in the matter. With a heavy heart, Arcese did
the only thing he could...
He turned around and ran.
He ran as fast as his feet would carry him. He wanted to put as
much distance between himself and the problem that faced him as he
could. He didn't want to believe that his life was supposed to turn out that
way. After becoming comfortable with the idea that he could choose his
own path, he was not ready to find out that his primary purpose was
something that he did not want to do. So, he ran. He ran from Ryoko. He
ran from Sasami. He ran from the Masaki household. He ran from his
destiny.
"You'd better run!" Ryoko shouted after him as he continued along
his escape route. "And, if you ever come back, I will bury you!"
Sasami was understandably stunned at the display. Why did her
newest friend run off? "Ryoko, why did you say those things to him?" she
scolded.
"Weren't you listening?" she asked. "He's going to try to kill me."
"That's impossible," Sasami said, breaking her gaze from anything
in particular. "Arcese is a good person. He would never hurt anyone."
"Hey, he had me fooled, too," Ryoko confessed. "But I saw the
files for myself. There's no denying what he really is."
"No," Sasami said. "I won't believe it!"
"Come on," Ryoko said as she placed a hand on Sasami's shoulder,
"let's get back to the house. Washu will explain everything."
"No!" Sasami screeched as she whacked Ryoko's hand from her.
"You're wrong! You're all wrong! Arcese is a good person that would
never hurt anybody! I have to find him!"
"Sasami, listen!" Ryoko pleaded. "I think it's for the best if Arcese
never comes back."
"That's not true!" Sasami shouted angrily. "I'm going to find him,
whether you want me to or not!" With that, she wheeled around and
stormed off in the direction Arcese had run.
Ryoko was too surprised to even consider following after her.
Never had she seen Sasami blow up like that. Did Arcese really mean that
much to her? She shook her head. It was a shame that her affection
should be so misguided. She supposed that, as a child, Sasami was the
easiest one for Arcese to fool.
When Ryoko's initial surprise at Sasami's outburst subsided, the
princess was long gone. Ryoko flew swiftly back to the house, intending
to tell everyone what happened. She was halfway home when the rain
began.

Chapter 3: Stand

Arcese had no idea how long or how far he had run when he
stopped. The rain was coming down hard by then, and the low rumble of
thunder reverberated on the hillside. Arcese was not in the least bit tired;
his mechanical structure and his ability to absorb ambient energy gave him
nearly an infinite supply of energy. The rainwater cascading off him, he
sat down on a rock.
It had actually become quite cold out. Not that Arcese could feel
it, though; he didn't feel hot or cold as humans do. He had sensors that
told him what the temperature around him was, and gave him other
information about the environment he found himself in. When the first
flashes of lightning came, Arcese felt the display only fitting. The
electricity was like a visual representation of the inner turmoil that raged
in Arcese's mind.
Arcese sat, continuously playing back the file that revealed to him
the purpose for which he was created. Never in his wildest dreams did he
imagine that he was created with malicious intent. After Washu
reprogrammed him, being a nice guy seemed so natural. He had no idea
what he was like before he was found by the pink-haired genius, but this
revelation made him shudder at the thought. Still, he felt as though he was
supposed to be compelled to fulfill the task that was set before him.
However much he didn't want to, he felt bound by obligation.
But what had Washu told him? She said that he had the ability to
choose. He didn't have to answer to anyone. Ryoko's death was the
desire of the one who created him, not his own. But could he choose to
ignore his solitary purpose? The question ate at him incessantly. He was
at war with his own programming. It was almost as if a voice inside him
was telling him what to do. And he didn't want to do it.
[Killing Ryoko is your prime directive,] the voice said from
within. [Do it.]
"Who would hate Ryoko enough to want her dead?" Arcese asked.
"And why did they choose me to do it?"
[It doesn't matter,] the voice replied. [Do as you're told.]
"All this time, I was designed to be a machine of destruction,"
Arcese said. "How can this be?"
[It doesn't matter. Do as you're told.]
"But Washu reprogrammed me to be able to think for myself."
[It doesn't matter. Do as you're told.]
"That's not who I want to be. As long as I can make a choice, I
choose to ignore you!"
[Killing Ryoko is your prime directive. Do it.]
"That's not who I want to be!"
[You are programmed to kill Ryoko.]
"I don't want to!"
[It doesn't matter. Do as you're told.]
"That's not who I am!"
[You are programmed to kill Ryoko.]
"That's not me!"
[You are what you were created to be. You were created to kill
Ryoko.]
"I don't care! I will not!"
[You will. You must.]
"Says who? I don't have to answer to anyone!"
[You are programmed to kill Ryoko.]
"I am not a killer!"
[You are what you were created to be.]
"I am what I choose to be!"
[Then what are you?]
"I AM ARCESE!" he boomed, his voice resounding like the
thunder that clapped around him. "You are just data. I am my own
person, and you will not control me! I WON'T LET YOU WIN!"
Consumed by his anger towards his destiny, the scope of Arcese's
powers manifested itself. He could feel energy around him being absorbed
at an incredible rate. He felt every cell in his body come alive with raw
power. This was the ability that was to be his main weapon against
Ryoko. However, the only task Arcese wanted to put his abilities to was
to destroy the voice in his head.
He felt his feet lift from the ground. He looked down as he left the
ground behind and took to the air. So wrought with rage was he that it
didn't even surprise him that he was now able to fly. He only climbed
higher into the sky, the low thunderhead that poured rain upon him being
shoved aside as he made his way to the core of the storm. The very air
around him was alive with electricity. He felt his body pop and crackle
with energy. Perhaps it was this disturbance that caused the lightning.
Seemingly from all sides it came, white hot tendrils fastening
themselves to his body. Each bolt that struck him was devoured hungrily
into his cells, infusing him with astounding power. When it seemed as
though the cloud had expunged himself of all its energy, Arcese took stock
of himself. He was amazed that he was able to collect so much power. He
looked at his hands, which glowed blue, almost blinding his own eyes.
"So this is what I was built for," he said aloud. "This is my
purpose, is it? Well, I will not use this power for the sinister purposes for
which it was intended! I refuse to take a life! I refuse this power!" With a
mighty yell, Arcese banished the foul energy from his body.

Unlike Arcese, Sasami felt the cold. Each icy raindrop was like a
needle that bore through her sopping kimono to the chilled skin beneath.
She, too, had been running for quite some time. Her desire to find her
friend outweighed everything else in her own mind, especially the
opinions of others. It didn't matter what Arcese was originally
programmed to do; he was literally a different person than he once was.
The side he had shown her was his true self, of that she was sure. She
would not let anyone drive him away.
Cold and exhaustion was getting the better of the young princess.
With each step she took the stitch of exhaustion in her side was
aggravated. Her shivering was becoming constant and uncontrollable. A
pounding headache ravaged her temples, and the queasy feeling in her
stomach was becoming hard to ignore. Sick with worry, she plodded on.
Step after labored step carried her farther into the forest. Fighting
the scratchiness in her throat, she again called for him. "Arcese! Arcese!
Arcese!" The echo of thunder and the drumming of the rain on the trees
all but drowned out her frantic cries, and no response came. A lightheaded
feeling overtook her, and she was forced to sit. Her heavy breaths came
out as pallid vapor in front of her, and she shut her eyes tightly, trying to
will away the awful aching that seemed to gnaw at her from too many
sides. Unsuccessful, she opened her eyes skyward.
From within the clouds, she caught sight of a strange blue glow.
But, unlike the lightning she had seen earlier, this light did not streak
angrily across the sky. Instead, it remained within the cloud, as if she was
catching a glimpse of the heart of the storm. Then, the light began to pulse
and grow in intensity, until the cloud tore away from itself, shoved aside
by the strange iridescence. Within the ball of light a solitary shape glowed
more intensely than anything she had ever seen. Despite the blinding glare
that emanated from it, she could distinguish the form as human. Even
from the great distance at which she observed the scene unfold, Sasami
heard the guttural scream of the man in the clouds. She recognized the
voice instantly; but how could it be him? "Arcese?"
With a deafening crash, a pillar of energy formed from the ground,
extending as high as Sasami could see. Arcese hovered within the
cylindrical column of blue energy, which swirled around him in a pattern
that reminded Sasami of wind-blown water. Suddenly, Arcese's arms shot
out in opposite directions, and Sasami felt the wave of energy flow by her
as a hot wind. She had to grab onto the nearest tree to prevent herself
from stumbling down the rock-strewn hillside. Fighting the gale, she
again looked skyward and saw the clouds part around Arcese. For a
distance spanning several miles, the mighty storm gave way to Arcese,
who cast aside the invincible cumulonimbus that spit its icy rain on the
earth below as easily as if it was a ball of cotton. Through the gaping hole
in the canopy of cloud cover the sun shone through, bathing Arcese and
Sasami alike in dry, gentle warmth. From his position in the sky, Arcese
hovered down through the tops of the trees and out of sight. Sasami
marked where he landed and ran towards him, ignoring her exhaustion.
Just a little further, and everything would be okay.

Chapter 4: Priority

"What was that?" Tenchi asked in amazement as the clouds above
him seemed to be pushed magically away by some unseen force. Did it
have something to do with that warm breeze that just kicked up?
After Ryoko had come back to the house and told everyone what
happened, it was decided that Sasami must be found quickly, especially
because of the weather. Also on everyone's mind was what might happen
if Arcese found her first. He still couldn't believe that Arcese was a killer.
Then again, ever since he had arrived, he hadn't known what to make of
him. Here was a being who, for all intents and purposes, was alive, but at
the same time was not. He had the ability to change his shape, but the
only thing about him that ever changed was his eyes, and even that was
involuntary on his part. Physically, he was not what he appeared to be.
So, it was not hard for him to believe that his intentions were not what
they appeared to be, either.
All of them had split up to form a search party--except for Yosho,
who remained at the house in case Sasami returned--and had fanned out
into the woods. Mihoshi had predictably gone with Kiyone to search the
south side of the woods. Ayeka and Ryoko had both gone east, while
Washu had gone to the west, leaving Tenchi by himself to search the
smaller, northernmost section. He was surprised that Ryoko hadn't
insisted on accompanying him and chose to search with Ayeka instead.
Over the past several months, the friendship between the princess and the
pirate continued to defy logic and grow stronger. Today was hard
evidence; it took a powerful force indeed to make Ryoko voluntarily leave
Tenchi by himself.
The seriousness of the situation also played on the minds of the
search party. Sasami was alone in the woods, not dressed for the numbing
rain that until recently fell in sheets, a possible assassin lurking in the
shadows. The most important task was to find Sasami, and everyone knew
it. Keeping her safe overruled all else.
Tenchi tugged at his rain jacket, causing the beaded drops of rain
that had collected to cascade from the slick surface. He sighed as he
recalled that Sasami did not currently possess such protection against the
elements. And, though the sun now shone brightly overhead, the
temperature was still unseasonably cold. Even if Arcese had run miles
away, Sasami was still in danger from the temperature; wet clothes in cold
weather was a recipe for disaster. He quickened his pace and began
calling her name, knowing that time was against him.

Arcese stood where he had alighted, standing once again on the
ground that he was once bound to. He felt surprisingly good about
himself. He had faced the merciless demon that had lurked within him,
and won a decisive victory. He closed his eyes and searched again for the
file that had once contained his unavoidable destiny, and noticed it
conspicuously absent from his database. Along with the energy that he
had absorbed, Arcese had cast the vile command from his programming,
as well.
He stood in contemplation for several moments, pondering the
events that had led him to this victory over himself. Using nothing more
than his power to choose, and his desire to live the life he wanted, he had
denied his only destiny, the task he was created for. Arcese smiled.
Choice was a powerful weapon, much more powerful than any physical
abilities of his own. And he was satisfied with himself that he could use
this weapon to the benefit of himself and those around him.
Suddenly, Arcese felt someone approaching. He recognized the
emotional pattern as Sasami's, and hurriedly rushed towards the
approaching child. When they came into view of one another, Sasami
smiled and shouted, "Arcese! I found you!"
"Sasami, what are you doing out here?" Arcese asked as Sasami
closed the distance between them and hugged him tightly around the waist.
"I got so worried when you ran off," Sasami said. "I was afraid
you weren't coming back!"
Arcese pondered Sasami's statement. Was he really planning on
leaving? He hadn't thought about it since he began to run, but he hadn't
thought about returning, either. It was clear that more than one person
now thought very ill of him, and he wondered if any pleas that he could
make on his own behalf would reverse their opinions. Still, one person
had faith in his good heart, and she now clung tightly to him, having
braved the inclement weather to seek him. And why shouldn't one person
be reason enough to return?
When Sasami finally unclasped her arms from around Arcese, he
knelt down to eye level and smiled sweetly at her. But his smile was
wiped away and was replaced with a look of concern. Sasami's face was
as white as a sheet. He placed a hand on her forehead. "You're running a
fever," he said. "You're sick."
Her worry subsided, Sasami was finally beginning to show the
effects of just how awful she felt. "Yeah, I don't feel so good," she said in
a thin, hoarse voice. Her weakened legs wobbled and finally gave out,
forcing her into a sitting position.
Arcese collected Sasami into his arms. "We've got to get you back
to the house," he said seriously. "Hold on to me tightly." Arcese was able
to absorb enough ambient energy to once again take to the air, and quickly
took off to deliver the sick princess into the warmth of the house.
Sasami brought her tired head up and looked at Arcese with a
puzzled expression. "I didn't know you could fly," she said.
Arcese grinned. "Neither did I," he said.
On the way back to the house, Arcese sensed everyone else
scattered around the woods. They were obviously looking for Sasami.
Tenchi was the closest one to his current position; Arcese figured he'd
better swing by and let him know that the search was over. He changed
his course and traveled towards Tenchi's emotional signature.
Tenchi was understandably surprised when Arcese hovered down
right in his path, the ailing Sasami cradled in his arms. He gawked and
stammered, "Ar- Arcese! Wh- what... where..."
"Sasami is sick," Arcese announced unceremoniously. I'm taking
her back to the house. Tell the others." His brief message delivered,
Arcese flew off quickly in the direction of the house, leaving a bewildered
Tenchi to scratch his head.
Staring up at the sky that Arcese now occupied, he marveled, "I
didn't know he could fly!"

Tenchi had first caught up with Ayeka and Ryoko to deliver the
news that Sasami was being taken back to the house. Still confident that
Arcese's motives were not in the least bit noble, Ryoko flew ahead to
make sure that he did no harm to the princess. She sped to the house and
phased through the front door. She looked around for Yosho, but could
not find him. She began to suspect the worst. Her search continued
upstairs, where she found the door to Ayeka and Sasami's bedroom open.
She stepped inside, and found Sasami lying in her bedroll, Yosho and
Arcese kneeling next to her.
Satisfied that Yosho was at least keeping Sasami safe, Ryoko
turned to Arcese. "Get away from her right now!" she commanded.
Arcese did not respond. He only continued to look down at Sasami, who
now rested uneasily.
It was Yosho who broke the silence. "Arcese brought her back,"
he said calmly. "He has been helping me look after her."
"Don't you see he's trying to deceive you?" Ryoko asked. "It's all
he's been doing since he got here! It's time I got rid of this conniving
bastard!"
Arcese made no verbal response. Slowly he arose from his crouch
and walked to the doorway of the room. He stepped outside and motioned
for Ryoko to follow her. Ryoko tensed, anticipating the battle she knew to
be imminent. Once outside the room, Arcese quietly closed the door.
With a swift, single motion, he wheeled around and grabbed the neckline
of Ryoko's kimono, and brought her face within a few inches of his own.
"You idiot!" he shouted angrily. "Can't you see that Sasami needs our
help right now? If it's a fight you really want, then it will have to wait
until she's better. It's because of me that she's sick, and I'm going to stay
at her side until she's back on her feet. I don't care if you raise hell itself;
I'm not going to move from that room! SO GET OFF MY BACK!!"
Needless to say, Ryoko was stunned. No one had ever spoken to
her that way before. Why was he so angry at her? Was it because he
wanted to kill her, or was it because he cared so much for Sasami? Her
thoughts were interrupted when the search party returned and found her in
the clutches of Arcese.
"Oh, my gosh! Ryoko!" Mihoshi shouted.
"Arcese, you don't have to hurt her!" Washu said desperately.
Arcese seemed to pay no heed to their pleas, and went right on
staring into Ryoko's face. Ryoko regarded his eyes. The angry orbits that
bit into her looked just like Sasami's.
Arcese released Ryoko's clothing from his grip and angrily shoved
her back a few steps. He made for the door to Sasami's room. As he
opened it, he pointed a finger at Ryoko. "If you're not going to help me
see Sasami through this," he said, "then leave me alone!" With that, he
shut the door behind him.
"What was that all about?" Kiyone asked.
Ryoko shook her head. "I'm... I'm not sure," she confessed.
Everyone adjourned to the living room, waiting anxiously for news
of Sasami's condition. Normally, Ayeka would have rushed in
immediately to check on her sister, but Arcese's behavior was
intimidating. She wasn't sure if he would even allow her in the room.
Finally, she could wait no longer. "This is ridiculous," she said, standing
up from the couch. "He's certainly not going to prevent me from seeing
my own sister." Ayeka determinedly marched up the stairs.
As quietly as she could, she slipped through the door, and found
Arcese sitting in a chair next to Sasami, whom Yosho kneeled over,
swabbing her forehead with a cool washcloth. Ayeka cautiously knelt next
to Arcese. "How is she?" she asked timidly.
"She's running a high fever," he said. "She's very sick."
"Will she be alright?" Ayeka asked.
"I think so," Arcese replied, "but she needs her rest."
"Yes, perhaps we should go, Ayeka," Yosho said as he stood.
"Arcese will look after Sasami."
Ayeka nodded. If nothing else, she could trust Yosho's judgment.
She took Arcese's hand. "Take good care of my sister," she said with
pleading eyes.
"I promise," Arcese replied. Yosho and Ayeka left the room,
confident that Sasami was in good hands.

Chapter 5: Redemption

For four days Arcese sat anxiously at Sasami's bedside. Not once
did he leave his position, even for a moment. Being that he did not need
to eat or sleep, he focused all of his attention on making sure that Sasami
was well cared for. Periodically, someone would come in to check on her
condition, usually Ayeka. About twice a day she would enter, and see
Arcese in the same position he had been in since day one. He would be in
the chair at Sasami's side, legs crossed, rocking back and forth in his seat,
a dreadfully serious look on his face. Ayeka was even afraid to speak at
these times; Arcese seemed tense enough to snap at any second. However,
he would always turn his head and give Ayeka a warm smile when he saw
her, and assure her that Sasami was getting better, a little at a time.
Invariably, after each visit with her sister, Ayeka reported Sasami's
condition to Ryoko, who refused to enter the same room with Arcese.
Despite the fact that he seemed to be focused solely on healing Sasami at
the time, she was still unsure what his intentions with her were.
Understandably, she chose to be cautious of the situation.
Early on the morning of the fifth day Arcese continued his vigil.
He was using his temperature sensors to keep a constant watch over
Sasami's body temperature. While he monitored her, he thought again
about why she was so sick. If she hadn't gone after him in the rain, she
probably would have been just fine. It was because he ran off that she
took ill. She had to have known that it wasn't safe to venture into a storm
like that, especially one as cold as the last one. Arcese couldn't stand the
fact that he was indirectly responsible for her illness, but it still warmed
his heart to think that someone cared about him enough to place herself
second to his welfare. Which is why he sat there now; the least he could
do was return the favor.
Arcese's attention was averted back to his temperature sensor,
which suddenly lost a tenth of a degree. He sighed; Sasami's fever had
fluctuated numerous times before. A minimal shift like that probably
meant nothing. However, her temperature then went down another tenth.
Anxiously, Arcese leaned forward in his seat, hoping that the trend would
continue. The gauge dropped another tenth, much to Arcese's elation.
Over the proceeding minutes, Sasami's fever finally gave way, her
temperature leveling off at an almost perfect 98.7 degrees. Very excited at
the prospect of Sasami's ordeal being over, he placed a hand on her
forehead to confirm what his sensors had told him. It was cool to the
touch, prompting Arcese to break into a wide smile. As his hand pulled
away, Sasami cracked her eyes open.
"Arcese," she said, her voice tired. "You're here again."
"I never left," Arcese said. "I wanted to make sure you got better."
"How long?" asked Sasami.
"It's been five days since I brought you back," he revealed.
"Five days?" Sasami asked in surprise, sitting up. "I can't believe
it's been that long. The house is probably a mess! I'd better start cleaning
up--"
Sasami's words were cut off as Arcese again placed his hand on
her forehead, pushing her gently back down on the pillow. "Don't worry
about that now," Arcese said with a comforting smile. "You're still weak.
You should get some sleep. We've been getting along okay without you
for the past few days; a little longer won't matter. For now, just relax."
"Okay," she begrudgingly conceded. Apparently, Sasami was the
most anxious of all of them to see herself back on her feet. "Arcese," she
queried, "did you really look after me for five days?"
"For every minute of every day, I've been right here," he said.
Sasami's mouth turned up in a tired smile. "Thank you," she said.
"You're more than welcome," Arcese told her through a smile of
his own. With that, Sasami closed her eyes and sank into an easy slumber.
Knowing that Sasami was no longer battling illness, he arose from
his seat to let her sleep. He quietly slipped out of the room and plodded
down the stairs to the kitchen, where everyone was gathered, picking at
their meager, microwaved breakfasts. All eyes shot up from the table and
eagerly regarded Arcese, who they knew would not have left unless there
had been a drastic change in Sasami's condition. They only hoped that the
change was for the better.
Arcese smiled proudly. "Sasami's fever just broke," he
announced. "She's still tired and needs her sleep, but she's going to be
back to her old self in no time."
Ayeka let out a deep breath and sank back into her chair. "Thank
goodness!" she beamed.
"Boy, am I glad to hear that," Tenchi said with a sigh of relief.
"So, you really did it, huh?" Ryoko asked flatly, a dour look on her
face.
"Just like I said I would," Arcese returned.
"Ryoko, will you give it a rest?" Washu asked her exasperatedly.
"It's plain to everyone here except you that he has no intentions of
harming anyone.
"Maybe," Ryoko said, "but he still hasn't done anything to prove it
to me, yet."
Arcese had no idea what gave him the idea that he got. Maybe it
was because he felt that Ryoko couldn't possibly look down on him any
more than she already did. Or perhaps it was because the idea was as far
from trying to kill someone as possible. Despite his undetermined
reasoning, he felt that going through with it was proper. He approached
Ryoko, who quickly stood up in alarm. Arcese stopped about a foot from
her, and looked at her with curious eyes. After a few moments, Ryoko's
eyes became questioning, wondering if and when Arcese would make a
move. Finally, he did, but certainly not the move that Ryoko--or anyone
else, for that matter--expected. He took her in his arms, dipped her, and
gave her the most passionate kiss he knew how to give.
Surprised, confused, and generally flabbergasted, Ryoko didn't put
up a fight. She remained completely frozen in Arcese's arms as he kissed
her. Everyone at the breakfast table looked on with mouths agape, frozen
as well with shock. Arcese broke the kiss and propped Ryoko back up on
her feet, who stood completely dazed. "Well, I certainly hope that that's a
start," Arcese said.
Snapping out of her trance, Ryoko looked angrily at Washu. "Did
you program him to do that?" she asked hotly. Her eyes still widened at
the spectacle she had just seen, Washu shook her head slowly. "What did
you do that for?" Ryoko asked, turning back to Arcese.
"Oh, come on, I had you completely by surprise," Arcese replied.
"Don't you think that, if I wanted to kill you, I would have done it just
then?"
"Well, I..." Ryoko began to say. However, she couldn't think of
any words after that.
"Like it or not, Ryoko," Arcese said, "I like you. I like all of you."
"We like you, too, Arcese!" Mihoshi announced enthusiastically.
"Yes, after what you did for Sasami," Ayeka added, "there remains
little doubt in my mind that your intentions are good and noble."
"You've certainly earned my trust," Tenchi assured him.
"Thank you, Tenchi," Arcese responded. He then looked around
him several times. "So," he said, putting his hands on his hips, "who's
going to help me clean the house today?"

Twelve hours after her fever broke, Sasami sat up in her bed and
stretched. That rest had done wonders; she felt completely back to normal.
She arose from her bedroll and changed into some clean clothes. Knowing
that she would be hounded when she emerged from the room, she
cautiously opened the door and peeked out. Satisfied that no one was
around, she swung the door open and walked downstairs. Oddly, no one
was in the living room, either. Sasami thought it strange that the house
should appear empty, especially around dinnertime. The thought of dinner
made Sasami's stomach growl; she hadn't eaten a thing since she got sick.
It was off to the kitchen, then, to make herself something to eat.
Upon entering the kitchen, Sasami realized why the rest of the
house seemed empty; everyone was in the kitchen! The hounding began
with Ayeka leading the charge, fawning over her and asking if she was
alright, then if she was sure she was alright, finally if she was absolutely
sure she was alright. Sasami patiently answered all the inquiries, and
appreciatively accepted the hugs that came with them. Amidst all the
chaos, Arcese remained at the table, smiling wide at the spectacle.
Suddenly, Sasami's stomach growled again, reminding her what
she had originally come to the kitchen for. "I'm awfully hungry," she said.
"Would you like me to make some dinner?"
"Oh, don't bother!" Mihoshi said. "We made it for you!" She then
stepped aside and revealed the table, which was covered in food.
"Well, we tried to make it, anyway," Kiyone clarified, "but then we
just gave up and decided to order out."
"Yeah, I'm sure you know by now that we're not the greatest chefs
in the world," Tenchi said with a smirk as he scratched the back of his
head.
Sasami's mouth watered at the sight of the enormous meal laid out
before her. She felt hungry enough to eat everything on the table,
including the placemats. Sitting at the table, continuing to smile, was
Arcese. "I'm glad you're feeling better, Sasami," he said.
"Me, too!" Sasami replied. Her stomach growled again, very
loudly.
Arcese chuckled. "Dig in, kiddo," he said, gesturing to the food on
the table, "there's plenty enough for everyone."
Throughout dinner, Sasami insisted on being told what had
happened while she was ill. Unfortunately, there was not much to report,
aside from the fact that her prediction of the house being a mess was
correct. All day, Arcese spearheaded the effort to clean the house, with
everyone else helping out where they could. The entire house was
spotless. Except, of course, for the kitchen, which still showed the scars of
the culinary misadventures that had taken place there that afternoon.
However, the disarray was nothing that the rejuvenated Sasami said that
she could not handle. When dinner concluded, she set about the familiar
task of cleaning up after her housemates. Arcese planned on helping her,
but Ryoko pulled him aside.
"Arcese," she began, "I... I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for the
way I've been treating you. I know that it was wrong of me to judge you
like that, even--"
"Ryoko," Arcese cut her off, "there's nothing to apologize for. I
completely understand how you felt. If I had seen that file, I probably
would have done the exact same thing. You were just looking out for
yourself and everyone else. Actually, I think that that was kind of
admirable."
"So, you're not mad?" Ryoko asked hesitantly.
"Of course not," Arcese said with a warm smile. "All is forgiven.
Now, I need to help Sasami clean up the kitchen."
Ryoko put a hand on his shoulder as he turned to leave. "You
know, you've done so much already," she said. "Take a break. I'll handle
this."
"Are you sure?" Arcese asked.
"Sure, I'm sure," Ryoko replied pleasantly. "Go relax. And, by
the way, thanks for looking after Sasami."
"It was something I had to do," Arcese said.
"No, it wasn't," Ryoko said, "but thanks for doing it, anyway."
Ryoko made her way into the kitchen, where Sasami was busy
scrubbing the counter. "Anything I can do to help?" she asked.
"Well, if you really want, you can start on those dishes," Sasami
said, pointing to the pile of dinnerware beside the sink. Sasami was
startled by Ryoko's offer; very rarely did she ever offer to do chores of any
kind. The pair cleaned in silence for several moments. Finally, Sasami
asked, "Ryoko, are you still mad at Arcese?"
"No, everything is okay, now," Ryoko assured her. "We've come
to an understanding."
"So you two are friends now?" Sasami asked.
"Well, I wouldn't quite say that, yet," Ryoko said. "But he seems
like a pretty decent guy. And, all things considered, he's not really a bad
kisser, either."
Ryoko laughed uproariously; the look on Sasami's face was
priceless!